"Pictures aren't all that important," 16-year-old Nick Garcia said of his beloved grandfather, "when we've got so many memories...

]]>Sun, 11 Dec 2016 00:00:00 PSTMedical examiner calls Northbrook death a homicideIrv Leavitt, Ted Gregoryhttp://www.chicagotribune.com/ct-nbs-northbrook-death-investigation-tl-1210-20161209-story.html
Northbrook police are continuing to investigate the strangulation death of a Northbrook attorney found Wednesday night in his office in 1300 block of Shermer Road.

The Cook County medical examiner's office classified the death of 36-year-old Jigar K. Patel, a Prospect Heights resident, as a homicide...

]]>Fri, 9 Dec 2016 16:54:00 PSTArrested Evanston clerk candidate has candidacy challengedGenevieve Bookwalterhttp://www.chicagotribune.com/ct-evr-evanston-clerk-candidate-complaint-tl-1215-20161209-story.html
A man arrested last month while gathering signatures to run for public office in Evanston has had his candidacy challenged by two people, one of whom is the wife of the city clerk, whose office the man seeks to hold.

On Monday, the Evanston election board will meet to consider the complaints filed...

]]>Fri, 9 Dec 2016 16:49:00 PSTLake Zurich police: No charges in locker room hazing investigationJohn Keilmanhttp://www.chicagotribune.com/ct-lake-zurich-football-no-charges-met-20161209-story.html
Lake Zurich police said Friday that the "inappropriate activity" carried out by members of the Lake Zurich High School football team did not warrant criminal charges.

]]>Fri, 9 Dec 2016 16:46:00 PSTShutdown threat eases as Senate Democrats signal retreat on miners' aidTribune news serviceshttp://www.chicagotribune.com/ct-coal-democrats-threaten-shutdown-miner-benefits--20161209-story.html
The Senate headed to a vote averting a government shutdown at midnight Friday as coal-state Democrats beat a tactical retreat and promised to continue their fight next year for months-long health care benefits for retired miners.

"We had no intention of shutting down the government," said Sen....

]]>Fri, 9 Dec 2016 16:45:00 PST1 dead, 2 wounded in West Side shootingsDeanese Williams-Harrishttp://www.chicagotribune.com/ct-chicago-violence-shootings-20161209-story.html
One man has died and two others were wounded after shootings on the West Side Friday afternoon, police said.

The fatal shooting occurred shortly after 3:15 p.m. as the victim was standing in the 5500 block of West Crystal Street in Austin, and two gunmen approached on foot and opened fire, police...

]]>Fri, 9 Dec 2016 16:42:00 PSTAs Old Town stable faces demolition, carriage owners see tenuous futureElyssa Cherneyhttp://www.chicagotribune.com/ct-horse-carriage-industry-met-20161208-story.html
The sprawling, two-story stable that sits in the middle of a residential block in Old Town has overcome its share of hurdles.

Since debuting as a riding school in 1871, the red-brick building has survived multiple bankrupted owners, a business license debacle, a horse heist by a former employee...

]]>Fri, 9 Dec 2016 16:19:00 PSTDexter Fowler signs with Cardinals: 'I'll be forever grateful I was a Cub'Mark Gonzaleshttp://www.chicagotribune.com/ct-dexter-fowler-cardinals-contract-20161209-story.html
The reality of watching Dexter Fowler in an opposing uniform will come soon enough for the Cubs.

They will face Fowler on April 2 in the season-opener against the rival Cardinals at Busch Stadium.

"It will be weird," Fowler said after being introduced at a news conference Friday. "But I guess they're...

]]>Fri, 9 Dec 2016 15:58:00 PSTGiuliani takes himself out of running for secretary of stateTribune news serviceshttp://www.chicagotribune.com/ct-giuliani-trump-secretary-of-state-20161209-story.html
Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani formally withdrew from consideration for a post in President-elect Donald Trump's administration Friday, putting an end to his ill-fated bid to lead the State Department.

Giuliani's prospects to serve as secretary of state had already dimmed, in part because...

]]>Fri, 9 Dec 2016 15:48:00 PSTRetailers want mayor, aldermen to allow menthol cigarette sales near schoolsHal Dardickhttp://www.chicagotribune.com/ct-chicago-menthol-tobacco-sales-near-schools-met-1210-20161209-story.html
Chicago merchants are trying once again to get Mayor Rahm Emanuel and aldermen to allow menthol cigarettes to be sold in stores near elementary schools, an attempt to roll back part of the city's 2013 complete ban on selling flavored tobacco products near schools.

The push, which could surface at...

]]>Fri, 9 Dec 2016 15:28:13 PSTAs Bears try to play spoiler, Lions have a major decision aheadBrad Biggshttp://www.chicagotribune.com/ct-lions-jim-caldwell-biggs-bear-essentials-spt-1211-20161210-column.html
The Bears can play the role of the ultimate spoiler Sunday against the Lions, who lead the NFC North but face a tough slate to close the season.

The future of coach Jim Caldwell remains an important question for the Lions, who reshaped the organization last year by cleaning out the front office...

]]>Fri, 9 Dec 2016 15:26:00 PSTCounter to campaign, Trump deepens Goldman Sachs ties as he builds economic teamTribune news serviceshttp://www.chicagotribune.com/ct-trump-goldman-sachs-20161209-story.html
In the heat of the presidential campaign, Donald Trump accused primary rival Ted Cruz of being controlled by Goldman Sachs because his wife, Heidi, previously worked for the Wall Street giant. He slammed Hillary Clinton for receiving speaking fees from the bank.

"I know the guys at Goldman Sachs....

]]>Fri, 9 Dec 2016 15:11:00 PSTSuspect accused of dragging officer with vehicle taken into custody, police sayErin Gallagherhttp://www.chicagotribune.com/ct-lns-waukegan-police-dragging-arrest-st-1210-20161209-story.html
The man believed to have been driving a stolen vehicle that dragged a Waukegan police officer at a gas station on Dec. 3 was taken into custody on Friday, authorities said.

Santos L. Martinez, 18, of the 1300 block of North Ave., Waukegan, is charged with resisting a police officer and aggravated...

]]>Fri, 9 Dec 2016 15:11:00 PSTIllinois Lottery's biggest scratch-offs didn't award 40% of grand prizes, Tribune findsJoe Mahr, Matthew Walberg, Angie Leventis Lourgoshttp://www.chicagotribune.com/ct-illinois-lottery-payout-met-20161209-story.html
It was called The Good Life and offered the biggest grand prize of any instant game the Illinois Lottery had ever produced.

Two lucky winners could scratch their way to $46 million each, paid in periodic installments. At $30, tickets weren't cheap, but millions were sold. Then the game ended before...

]]>Fri, 9 Dec 2016 15:09:00 PSTPerson being questioned in attack of 94-year-old womanDeanese Williams-Harrishttp://www.chicagotribune.com/ct-person-being-questioned-in-attack-of-94-year-old-woman-20161209-story.html
Police said a person is being questioned in the home invasion and aggravated battery of a 94-year-old woman on the Southwest Side.

Earlier, police released an image of a man wanted for questioning in the Dec. 7 attack.

Shortly before noon that day, a suspect followed the victim to her residence...

But though Emanuel said through his spokesman Adam Collins later Friday that he had spent...

]]>Fri, 9 Dec 2016 14:43:00 PST'Well, I killed them, I guess': Dylann Roof laughed during church slaying confessionTribune news serviceshttp://www.chicagotribune.com/ct-dylann-roof-charleston-shooting-20161209-story.html
Dylann Roof wanted the world to know he hated black people and thought they were criminals. He thought about attacking drug dealers, but they might shoot back. So, he told the FBI, he picked a historic black church in Charleston he had learned about online.

In a videotaped confession shown Friday...

]]>Fri, 9 Dec 2016 14:33:00 PST2 suits over fatal Chicago police shootings being settled for about $3M eachStacy St. Clairhttp://www.chicagotribune.com/ct-police-shooting-settlement-sanction-20161209-story.html
The city of Chicago is expected to pay more than $6.4 million to resolve two fatal police shooting lawsuits — one involving an unarmed teenager and another that sparked a review of how the city's Law Department handles litigation involving serious officer misconduct.

"But what I loved about him from day one of summer league is he works," Rondo said. "He's always in the weight room when I'm in the weight room. And I'm in there a lot."

It's there, Jimmy Butler...

]]>Fri, 9 Dec 2016 14:00:00 PSTDo Trump’s Cabinet picks want to run the government — or dismantle it?John Wagnerhttp://www.chicagotribune.com/ct-trump-cabinet-picks-20161208-story.html
President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to lead the Environmental Protection Agency has gone to court to stop its enforcement efforts.

His pick for secretary of education has been accused of trying to undermine traditional public schools, while his choice for Housing and Urban Development has questioned...

]]>Fri, 9 Dec 2016 13:49:00 PSTLethal synthetic 'super heroin' triggers 1st Cook County overdose deathJohn Keilmanhttp://www.chicagotribune.com/ct-chicago-super-heroin-opioid-analog-deaths-met-20161209-story.html
It goes by the street name of "super heroin," and it's a stronger version of the drug that causes hundreds of fatal overdoses in the Chicago area each year. Now, authorities say, this synthetically boosted narcotic has become even more dangerous.

The Cook County Medical Examiner's office said Friday...

]]>Fri, 9 Dec 2016 13:46:00 PSTCar drives into Aurora clinic, trapping employee in officeHannah Leonehttp://www.chicagotribune.com/ct-abn-chiropractic-clinic-crash-st-1209-20161209-story.html
A car drove into a chiropractic clinic on Aurora's West Side Thursday afternoon, injuring one person and trapping an employee in her office, according to police.

At about 2:25 p.m., a 79-year-old woman driving a 2013 Mercedes pulled into a parking spot in front of Pure Health Physical Medicine...

]]>Fri, 9 Dec 2016 13:44:00 PSTChicago to pay $3.8 million as part of Fire Department gender bias caseJohn Byrnehttp://www.chicagotribune.com/ct-chicago-fire-department-lawsuit-gender-bias-met-20161209-story.html
The city is set to pay a group of African-American women $3.8 million as part of a settlement of a long-running federal lawsuit claiming that Chicago Fire Department tests were discriminatory.

The City Council Finance Committee will consider the payment Monday. It's the latest payout from the city...

]]>Fri, 9 Dec 2016 13:36:00 PSTCops: Laced gummy candy that sent Naperville students to hospital appeared 'homemade'Bill Birdhttp://www.chicagotribune.com/ct-nvs-homemade-candy-sickened-students-st-1211-20161209-story.html
Laced gummy bear candy that sickened 14 Naperville North High School students earlier this week appears to have been "homemade," Naperville police said Friday.

Responding to what he said were "questions about the source of the gummy bears," Naperville police Cmdr. Jason Arres said "it would appear...